As mentioned earlier in the Hub, Nebraska kicker/punter and Kearney native Brett Maher is preparing for the upcoming NFL draft. One of the stops along the way will be in Dallas to participate in the 15th annual Quicken Loans All-Star Football Challenge.
Ok, enough…we already knew they had it in them. We all had seen it before. But why does this Husker team insist on showing us again and again that they have enough resiliency to overcome big deficits? I believe it…the coaches believe it. How about this? Just go ahead and start quick, play four quarters, and help a lot of us to relax and enjoy a comfortable win.
Now that everyone’s heart rate has returned to a normal level…at least until Saturday afternoon, it might be good time to 1) rehash the unbelievable comeback vs the mighty Spartans 2) address the “hot topics” of the week and 3) look ahead to Saturday vs the Penn St Lions.
The best thing about winning a big game vs Michigan is not having to hear certain people complain about Taylor Martinez and his decision-making, Bo Pelini’s leadership, Tim Beck’s play-calling, or JP’s defense. Wait…who am I kidding? All of those things will keep happening. Unfortunately, now we will have to deal with the other side. People making plans for the Big 10 Championship Game and thinking about reservations to the Rose Bowl. Not so fast my friends.
Sorry for the time away…been away for a while but what a great day to be back. Michigan coming to Memorial Stadium for a key game to see who gets to the Big 10 Championship Game. Night Game. Michigan and DRob. No excuse for it NOT to be an incredible atmosphere!
By Jason Arens, Hub Sports Writer
I’ve got a buddy from Nebraska who isn’t a Husker fan. Whenever Big Red suffered a loss, he’d get frustrated when I’d try to explain to him what exactly went wrong in the game, and how Nebraska would’ve won if this just had happened.
“I don’t care,” he’d say. “They lost!”
I think that’s how the entire Nebraska fan base would’ve felt like had Northwestern pulled it out. Back-to-back losses to the Wildcats would’ve stung. There would be no excuses of the “should’ve” and “could’ve”. There would only be “didn’t.”
A little unfinished business before we talk about the daunting task of the Buckeyes and Braxton Miller.
By JASON ARENS, Hub Sports Writer
If the Nebraska coaches and players had any trouble answering postgame questions Saturday, they could’ve referred back to last year’s win over Ohio State. The comeback victory over Wisconsin felt like a rerun, but it was just as thrilling the second time around.
“We made it hard on ourselves,” Bo Pelini said. “We didn’t play our best football, but we stayed the course and our guys showed the character, toughness and perseverance.”
That’s no joke.
So many distractions this week. Tom Osborne’s retirement, fancy new jerseys, high tech shoes, 1st night game of year, revenge for a beating in Madison last year, the start of Big 10 battles… All I know Is that I hope the players are good at blocking out the unimportant aspects of this game. They certainly need to be better at it than the fan base.
Wisconsin DE, David Gilbert, might have done us a favor by spouting off about the poor development of our QB. Usually calling a player “soft” and saying his passing is like “skipping rocks” is FROWNED upon in this establishment. Another view is that he is right and that now Taylor will try TOO HARD to prove him (and others) wrong. Will see. I do believe games like this will test the maturity and development of our Jr QB. How he plays will determine our Offensive success.
Opponents are averaging 4.2 yds a carry vs our Defense. Stopping the Badgers traditional running game is a MUST. Montee Ball was a Heisman favorite before the season…he can chug the rock.
UW receiver, Jared Abbrederis, is averaging almost 20 yds a reception. Almost all have been on play action passes…another reason why stopping the running game is key. DBs can’t afford to peek or cheat.
No back has had a gain for more than 20yds on any single play against the Badgers. If that streak holds true, the Huskers will lose. Taylor M and Ameer A and Rex B need to get loose a few times.
Will Tim Beck maintain his patience if we get behind? He has so many weapons that choosing has to be hard. What I hated about the UCLA game is that when we got down, it became a drop back offense. I don’t think we are a good drop back offense. Diversity and balance is a must!
Home field advantage. Memorial Stadium is not exactly a brutal place to play. At certain times (usually at night) the masses wake up and affect the play. There is no excuse for a quiet, mundane environment tonight. The team doesn’t need noise after great plays, they need support and excitement when things are not going well. Come on Red Fans, do your part.
Is this a must win? Aren’t they all at this point?
Check back each week as Hub sports writers Jason Arens, Buck Mahoney, Connor O'Gara and guest writer Cody Riedel bring you links, videos, tech demos and thoughts on what's going on in the sports world.
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